Strange message when starting computer.

David2010 · 09-20-2010, 10:13 PM

This puzzling message pops up during startup and forces a reboot:

Code:

Checking root filesystems...
fsck.ext3: No such file or directory while trying to open /dev/hda1
The superblock could not be read or does not describe a correct ext2 filesystem.

If the device is valid and it really contains an ext2 filesystem, then the superblock is corrupt.

This was typed in not copied.

The laptop is running gentoo linux.

Here is the fstab file and instead of having "boot" on its own partition I decided to have both "/" and "boot" in the same partition.

This has never caused any problems before so I don't understand what the problem is now.

fstab:

Code:

/dev/hda1   /boot        ext3    defaults,noatime     1 2
/dev/hda1   /            ext3    noatime              0 1
/dev/hda2   none         swap    sw                   0 0

/dev/cdrom  /mnt/cdrom   auto    noauto,user          0 0

proc        /proc        proc    defaults             0 0
shm         /dev/shm     tmpfs   nodev,nosuid,noexec  0 0

grub.conf

Code:

root (hd0,0)

kernel /boot/kernel-genkernel-x86-2.6.32-gentoo-r7 root=/dev/ram0 init=/linuxrc ramdisk=8192 real_root=/dev/hda1 vga=792

initrd /boot/initramfs-genkernel-x86-2.6.32-gentoo-r7

syg00 · 09-20-2010, 10:20 PM

The hda nomenclature disappeared ages ago - especially on gentoo.
Change it to whatever "fdisk -l" shows - almost certainly /dev/sda

BTW, you should remove that /boot entry altogether.

David2010 · 09-20-2010, 10:29 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by syg00

The hda nomenclature disappeared ages ago - especially on gentoo.
Change it to whatever "fdisk -l" shows - almost certainly /dev/sda

BTW, you should remove that /boot entry altogether.

It disappeared ages ago... hm...

It still shows up as /dev/hda1 and /dev/hda2 in "fdisk -l"

/dev/sda1 is my usb flash drive. When it is connected of course.

I don't think removing the "/boot" entry in fstab is going to make any difference but I will try anyways.

It should be noted that the laptop is roughly 2 years old.

prayag_pjs · 09-20-2010, 10:32 PM

do file system check .. it may help

David2010 · 09-20-2010, 10:34 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by prayag_pjs

do file system check .. it may help

Would

"fsck -t ext3 -y /dev/hda1"

Do the trick or would that cause drastic things to happen to the HDD?

prayag_pjs · 09-20-2010, 10:37 PM

ya do it.. it gives the warning before conduction file system check ... read that

syg00 · 09-20-2010, 10:43 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by David2010

It disappeared ages ago... hm...

It still shows up as /dev/hda1 and /dev/hda2 in "fdisk -l"

And that's a genkernel 2.6.32 ?.
Very odd - not that I ever used genkernel.

What does "parted -l /dev/hda" produce ?.

David2010 · 09-21-2010, 07:32 PM

Ok I did this...

e2fsck -f /dev/hda1

mke2fs -n /dev/hda1

e2fsck -f -b 32768 /dev/hda1

fsck -t ext3 -y /dev/hda1

It found the problem and I updated the superblock from 8192 to 32768.

I still have the same problem dispite linux telling me the HDD is fine.

By the way why does the superblock HAVE to be ext2?

I don't have a single ext2 partition on my drive.

David2010 · 09-21-2010, 08:48 PM

I just decided to put windows xp on the laptop for right now.

I will set it up as a dual boot system with gentoo later on.

At least this way if one fails I can resort to another one to help fix it.

Since the laptop is on the road a good amount of the time, its nice to have the best of both worlds.

Games on one system and functionality/stability on the other.